| # | Author | Message |
31
| rocket jet
Wed 10/10/2007 10:50a | Yes, Al's articles are always interesting. The one he had yesterday was good too, apart from that last bit about "Defenders of Mediocrity". |
32
| Jim in Merced CA
Wed 10/10/2007 10:52a | Yeah, but have you ever seen Rosie Grier in the parks. |
33
| SFH
Wed 10/10/2007 12:37p | No. Haven't seen Pam Grier, either. |
34
| Dabob2
Wed 10/10/2007 1:25p | I'm pretty sure I have an old book that shows Greer Garson at DL.
(Really.) |
35
| jeffshultz
Wed 10/10/2007 1:32p | The Mulholland Madness coaster reminded me of the coaster at Animal Kingdom in WDW - same basic ride? |
36
| Westsider
Wed 10/10/2007 2:26p | No, never seen Rosie or Pam Grier either. It may have something to do with the last name Grier, so maybe it's not Ed's fault after all.
Poor guy. I bet Ed is doing a fine job at being President. And I'm sure he's a nice enough person, if one were to ever actually meet him. Or maybe know someone who has met him. Or know someone who has actually seen him. |
37
| jonvn
Wed 10/10/2007 2:36p | Explain to me again who you are and why he should meet you?
He has how many thousands of people working at the place? And you are, who, exactly?
You don't need to meet him. His job can be done without you meeting him. Your job can be done without you meeting him.
Everyone has different styles. I personally would walk around the park once a week and see how things were as a reality check. Some people don't do that, they depend on trusted underlings to report in.
It's a matter of style. It's unimportant, and the fact that it has been raised to this level of importance is an indication of just how out of touch with business reality these sorts of comments are. |
38
| jeffshultz
Wed 10/10/2007 3:37p | I can think of two reasons that Westsider's posts might cause concern:
1. When the staff is used to seeing the boss wandering around with some regularity - esp. if recognition of some sort goes along with that, having a reclusive boss can be a bit of a jarring change. That seems to be Westsider's point.
2. If a boss is reclusive and does not "get out on the floor" every so often, it's very easy to lose touch with the basics of the company - why it really exists. This could definitely have a negative effect on the business.
As someone in the miltary, I was used to seeing the commanders from at least a couple levels up wander through every so often to keep a feel on how things were going. It was expected and it was simply the way it was done.
I would be at least mildly uncomfortable with a reclusive boss - I'd wonder how he was really getting his information - and what he was missing.
Besides, think about it - the guy is in charge of DISNEYLAND! What sort of person runs a place like that and doesn't occasionally go out and enjoy it themselves? |
39
| Sport Goofy
Wed 10/10/2007 3:44p | << I would be at least mildly uncomfortable with a reclusive boss - I'd wonder how he was really getting his information - and what he was missing. >>
Most people are. However, I don't think these characteristics have anything to do with performance of the organization. I had a boss once who was very reclusive and the organization didn't like him a whole lot. However, the organization performed magnificently during his tenure and everyone benefited from his leadership -- whether they recognized it or not. In contrast, the man who replaced him was very outgoing and out "in front of the troops" everyday. Under his leadership the organization decayed and there were notable lapses in performance. Still, everyone "loved" the man who was outgoing.
These sorts of positions are not popularity contests and I don't think its particularly insightful to judge performance based on a person's accessibility or amount of exposure to the public. Why not judge performance based on performance? Is park attendance holding up? Is the business healthy? Is the business remaining innovative? None of these things have anything to do with how many laps a person does around the park each day. Every leader has a different approach. Its actually an interesting thing to study when you take the time.
|
40
| jonvn
Wed 10/10/2007 3:55p | "I was used to seeing the commanders from at least a couple levels up wander through every so often to keep a feel on how things were going."
A couple of levels up, yes. But how many levels up from the churro vendor is the president? I can think of three off the bat.
As said in post 39, if the guy is doing the job right, that's all that matters.
But that is really not what it is about. What it is about is being derisive of whoever has the job, no matter what they do. Cynthia Harriss was spoken of derisively because of her hugs. This guy is spoken of derisively because he is aloof.
Maybe Al should write a hug quota into the job description so they know just the right amount of time they should spend talking to people and hugging them but not TOO MUCH or TOO LITTLE.
Because if they are off by just a little bit, then Al would demand that they be fired. |
